


Seasons Change but People Don't

by StephIsInsanity



Category: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
Genre: Canon Compliant Mentions of Religion, Cute, F/M, Fluffy, I think this is written VERY closely to the dialogue of the show, I'm proud tbh, Matt and Harry are actual 5 year olds, even though I finished this over a year ago
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-13
Updated: 2015-07-13
Packaged: 2018-04-09 04:17:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4333554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StephIsInsanity/pseuds/StephIsInsanity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Some things change, other things stay the same; Matt and Harriet will forever be confusing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Seasons Change but People Don't

**Author's Note:**

> KT, this one is for you lovey :)
> 
> Finalized - 17 June 2014

Cast and crew had returned to the building over the last 2 weeks. New cast members always around, underfoot, trying to get to know everyone but mostly sticking together. They were mostly background in sketches for the moment. Just holding small roles to move the plot or be a target for one of the big players.

One thing that none of the newbies expected was for the Entertainment President to always be on set. They were always in a constant discussion of the fact that this cannot be how TV studios are normally run. Even though they’d come to realize that the cast and crew here before them were not normal themselves so why would they run the building any differently? The President was on set every day and she made them all nervous to the point where they would flub their, very few and far between, lines if she were in the room. Matt had to ban her from sitting in on rehearsals so that he could get things done. That was another thing that came as a shock to the group of newcomers, the way Matt talked to the woman who had all the power to fire him at any second. To them it was like, one second they were rehearsing and yet another line was flubbed and the next thing they knew Matt had turned around and looked in Jordan’s direction. 

“Hey Jordan.” He called out

“Yeah?” she said, around a bite of sandwich while looking through a stack of files in her lap.

“Get the hell out of my rehearsal.”

“What? Why?”

“You make them nervous and I can’t get the feel of the sketch if both props and lines keep getting dropped.”

“Fine.” Jordan sighed as she put her bag onto her shoulder and backed out of the room, hands up in mock surrender. 

This ban had lasted a whole 3 days before Jordan broke it. She walked into the room through a door in the back with a crying child in her arms. One of the new kids knocked over a prop near him and Matt spun on his heel. 

“Jordan, you can’t be here.” 

“I know, I know, but she is being so fussy and I have so much work to do and nothing is working and the only thing I have left is to hand her off to Harry who always calms her down and I’m sorry.” She said, all in one breath. 

“I need Harriet for this sketch, she is the only one with the timing down and I need someone for everyone else to play off of.” 

“Yes but I cannot make phone calls with a crying baby in my arms and the babysitter is sick and I-“ 

“I can do both, guys.” Harriet interjects, walking up to Jordan and taking the child.

The crying in the room almost instantly stops, no one knows why Harriet has this effect on her but right now no one is questioning it. Jordan closes her eyes in relief and mouths a thank you at Harriet before leaving the way she came.

Harriet bounces Rebecca up and down on one hip and sets her script down. This earns her a look from Matt. 

“I know my lines Matthew, don’t worry.” 

She rolls her eyes when she hears him sigh in response. 

The new cast members shoot each other looks of slight confusion and discomfort. None of them had quite figured out what was going on between those two. 

The sketch ends up being much funnier when Harriet is holding a baby. It was a sketch about a radical group of spies that worked underground, Harriet was the newly appointed leader and here she was with a baby on her hip. 

“No, we are _not_ adding a baby to this sketch.” He exclaimed just after calling the end of rehearsal.

“How did you know I was going to say that?” Tom asked, genuinely confused.

“I could see the looks you and Harry were exchanging. Plus even one of the new kids said it as he walked by,” 

“Yeah because it’s a good idea!” 

“Babies are unreliable and bound to cry at exactly the wrong time.” 

“If we use Rebecca we’ll be fine because she never cries for Harry, she loves her!” 

“What are we using Rebecca for?” Jordan asked, returning to the set.

“The boys are arguing over whether my lead, tough-as-nails, spy character should bounce a baby on her hip while giving orders and death threats.” Harriet explained while handing a sleeping Rebecca off to her mother. 

“That actually sounds hilarious. I mean the show is late but if Harry can keep her quiet and not fussy then you can use Becca.” Jordan told Matt. 

Matt sighed, giving in to the idea. 

“Fine we’ll plan on using the baby, but if she is too fussy before we go on then we’ll do the sketch without her. Okay?” 

Everyone nodded in agreement and left in separate directions.

Matt and Harriet had been endlessly fighting since their return to set two weeks ago.

They fought about anything and everything. If she slips up on a line he calls her out on it with no hesitation. He pitched a sketch to the room she told him that it sucked. The ever popular fight over religion made a comeback just this morning in fact.

But on the flipside if Matt wanted a read through on something Harriet was the first person he went to. The second day back Harry had been showing the new kids around set and Matt had pulled her aside to run an idea by her, she gave input and he kissed the top of her head and then left. 

If Harriet had an idea or a costume switch up she went to Matt before anyone else. Earlier in the week Matt had been going over how the show is done with his new writers and she needed to go over something so she pulled him out to talk about it. 

If Matt couldn’t be found in his office or on stage he could be found sleeping on the couch in Harry’s dressing room. On the same token, if Harriet couldn’t be found then the next place to look for her would be the couch in Matt’s office where she was often found running lines in her head or napping. Most of the time the person whom the room actually belonged to was not even there, they just liked to be in each other’s space. 

Things like this led to a large amount of confusion for anyone new because for the last 15 days Matt and Harriet had had a blowout fight every day save for one. 

Several of them had asked around what was up with the two of them. And they all received the same answer in response, an eye roll and a “don’t worry about it.”

Jeanie had even tossed in a "you're better off not understanding the way their brains and feelings work" when asked by the 7th person in one day.

Tonight was the first show of the season and Matt and Harriet could be heard across the set. 

“For the thousandth time Matthew, god works in MYSTERIOUS WAYS!” 

“IT IS A FAIRY TALE HARRY! None of it can be proven!” 

“This is why I worry about you Matthew, and I don’t care what you say about proven facts, I believe in what I believe!” 

They had reached the group in time for pre-show circle now, but that didn’t stop them from fighting. 

While they waited for 2 others to arrive Matt called across the circle to Harriet “Look I get what you believe I just think it’s missing an insane amount of common sense.”

Danny put his hand on Matt’s shoulder and shot him a look that said “Shut up or I will make you.” 

Harry always led the group for the first show of the season. All of the new cast members caught up with what was happening when hands were offered for them to hold. 

“Dear God, we thank you for allowing us all to be here tonight in good health, we ask for a wonderful first show back, good luck to all our new cast members, and fantastic ratings so Jordan doesn’t make us run anymore sponsors. Also, if you can, grant me the strength not to kill Matthew in his sleep tonight. Amen.” 

Amen's were heard all around, and the group dispersed into the surrounding area. 

“Oh please, you wouldn’t kill me, then you would never get to go to heaven.” 

Harry sighed and started to giggle.

“Oh Matt, when are we just going to accept the fact that we’ll always have this difference between us?” 

Overhead they hear, “Harriet to stage in 45 for opening.” 

“That’s me.” 

Matt holds up his hand for a high five, which Harry meets and then follows down for a low five. Matt takes hold of Harriet’s hand and spins her into a hug. She smiles up at him, that smile that he knows is just for him she grabs the knot of his tie and pulls his lips down to hers for a chaste kiss.

She pulls away and walks backwards towards the stage, still facing him.

“Break a leg out there Hayes.” 

Harry knows this is his way of telling her he loves her without so many words.

She turns on her heel and calls back to him over her shoulder. 

“Well you know, I do have a good writer, so it shouldn’t be hard!” 

Matt knows that means she thinks he's an idiot but she loves him nonetheless.

The new kids look at each other and shake their heads. 

Some things change, other things stay the same; Matt and Harriet will forever be confusing. 

/fin.

**Author's Note:**

> the title is lyrics from the Fall Out Boy song "The Take Over, The Breaks Over"


End file.
